Emeritus Professor awarded Swedish Research Grant (FORMAS)

Emeritus Professor Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt AO has been awarded a Swedish Research Grant (FORMAS) for her joint project with Dr Patrik Oskarsson (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences).  

Their project titled, ‘Towards decarbonised democracy: Pathways for an inclusive energy transition in India’, received $6million Swedish Kroners ($900,000A) over four years under the Explore grants which fund innovative research for the environment, agricultural sciences and spatial planning.  

The work will focus on how India is the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases while consistently maintaining an economic growth rate of 6% over the past 25 years. Despite the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities in international climate agreements, India has taken a pioneering role in transitioning to a clean-energy-driven economy: coal's share of electricity generation has fallen below 70%, with record additions of low-carbon energy in recent years. Yet challenges remain - from land disputes to uneven benefits across regions and social groups in an increasingly unequal and authoritarian governance setting.  

This project investigates the direction of India’s energy transition through a qualitative and data-driven approach, integrating key informant interviews, focus group discussions, official statistics, and policy document analysis. The aim is to assess how the energy transition can evolve to deliver Decarbonised Democracy - a condition where the shift to a low-carbon energy regime expands civic power, improves equity, and stimulates economic growth, particularly for the poor and marginalised populations. 

Crawford School Director, Professor Janine O'Flynn says, "We congratulate Emeritus Professor Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt on securing funding for this incredibly important project which will help us to understand how energy transitions can enhance democracy, especially for poor and marginalised communities. It builds on Kuntala’s decades of work on lives and livelihoods in natural resource sectors".

This grant follows Emeritus Professor Lahiri-Dutt's recent book publication ‘Everyday Justice in India’s Coal Transition: Testimonies from the margins’ co-authored with Dr Oskarsson (Oxford University Press, 2026), and the upcoming ‘Energy Transition in India’ (Oxford University Press, 2027), jointly with Dr Rihit Chandra.